MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Russia will continue working in the so-called "Astana format" to maintain the ceasefire in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.

"We are working on the issues of the cessation of hostilities and observance of the regime of combat operations in the "Astana" format, together with the guarantor states. The number of clashes and instances of the use of force has decreased many times," he said.

He reiterated that the participants of the process should use the Astana format to make the truce regime more sustainable.

On Thursday, United Nations Special Advisor for Syria Jan Egeland called on the countries-guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria (Russia, Iran and Turkey) as well as the US to secure a 72-hour ceasefire in order to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians in need.

The third conference on Syria ended in the Kazakh capital of Astana on March 15. Delegations of Russia, Iran and Turkey, which had brokered a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, took part in the negotiations alongside experts from the United Nations, United States and Jordan. The next round of talks is scheduled for May 3.